The Sydney coach weighed into the umpiring debate on Tuesday after a weekend where there was again much conjecture over the performance of the game's whistleblowers.

The Swans have sought clarification from the umpires department over the treatment given to Lance Franklin in the game against West Coast on Sunday but as of Tuesday afternoon had not received feedback as the match had not yet been reviewed.

This prompted Longmire to question whether the league's umpires were adequately resourced.

"In the end we're sitting here on a Tuesday and the game's still not reviewed," Longmire said.

Advertisement

"It's an area that takes 4.5 to five hours for each game to be reviewed – it takes us that to review it as coaches.

"You try and do all those games over a weekend, you need quality manpower to do it and it takes money and resources."

The league's umpiring department, headed by national umpiring director Wayne Campbell, includes nine full-time staff, 32 senior umpires, eight rookies and in excess of 100 more officials who act in roles such as goal and boundary umpiring and interchange stewarding.

Longmire said the game needed more than 32 senior field umpires as 27 were required each week plus nine emergencies, a role commonly filled by less experienced umpires.

Longmire, who wants people to be encouraged to pursue umpiring as a profession, also raised the question of whether umpiring at the elite level should become a full-time job.

League umpires are semi-professional and hold day jobs. Elite umpires can earn around $100,000 a year if they officiate through the finals series.

"The broader sense of the discussion should be pointed towards allowing more resources to be dedicated towards the umpires," Longmire said.

"It's such an important part of the game, whether the umpires can become more full-time than what they are, or the resources dedicated to them are enough.

"It's such a tough game to umpire. Are we spending enough time looking at that important part of the game?"

Umpires boss Campbell, however, said in an interview with the AFL website in January that it was unlikely umpires would become full time "because I just don't think you would be able to fill in the hours".

Longmire said his comments were not a direct result of any frustration from Franklin's duel with Eagles defender Eric Mackenzie, or with Richmond's Alex Rance three rounds ago, but the coach did express disappointment with how marking contests were being adjudicated.

But he said there had been an improvement in adjudging head-high contact as players were now less likely to be rewarded if they seek contact by leading with the head.

However, there has been much confusion with the umpires' interpretation of the holding the ball rule, highlighted by the decision not to penalise Angus Monfries in Port Adelaide's game with Essendon.

Campbell said on Monday the umpire had erred by not rewarding the tackler in that incident though did not believe the blue was "a howler".

But, highlighting the confusion, there are similar examples in the AFL's Laws of the Game DVD where umpires are told not to give a holding the ball decision.

Longmire also raised eyebrows over how only 25 free kicks were paid in the Sydney-West Coast game when there were nearly 200 tackles laid.

"In a general sense you look at that and think is that the right outcome? It's not always about numbers, and I understand that, but it makes you reflect on the bigger issues," Longmire said.

"Just in a general sense, whether free kicks are being paid or not, how play is let to unfold, those things need to be discussed.

"You can only do that if you've got the time the umpires can spend and the resources to be able to do it. The combination of time and resources and is something we need to look at."